Ministry of dessert: Serving frozen yogurt topped with values

Noting the popularity of frozen yogurt, it was easy for former schoolteachers Lori Laramore of Cape Girardeau and Allyson Leckie and Angela Schlitt of Jackson to get their heads together about opening a shop. They decided after a great deal of deliberation to call it Simply Swirled.

It took awhile to remodel a doctor's office at 274 S. Mount Auburn Road, but the prospect of having their own business and using it to promote their Christian beliefs gave them plenty of impetus to see the project to completion almost two years ago.

Encouraged by its success, they opened another self-serve shop early this year at 2480 E. Main St. in Jackson and sold Simply Swirled franchises to owners in Sikeston and Poplar Bluff, all tuned to Christian radio stations and staging weekly benefits for various causes. They also offer -- rent-free -- community rooms for some meetings, parties and Bible studies.

At Simply Swirled, customers select a yogurt flavor or flavor combination and toppings -- fruit, candies, cookies and more -- to make a unique dish. The cost depends on weight.

Along with Chick-fil-A and LifeWay Christian Stores, the Simply Swirled shops are sponsoring a 7 p.m. Nov. 23 concert by Christian musician Michael W. Smith at Cape First Church, 254 S. Silver Springs Road in Cape Girardeau, for which advance tickets are $28. Proceeds from yogurt sales that night will go to Smith's Rising Hope organization to help fight international human trafficking.

With the Cape Girardeau and Jackson shops' sound systems tuned to KHIS Radio at 107.9 FM, Leckie said, "I think church groups are drawn to us because of what we stand for.

"We're always getting customers who say, 'I wish we could play Christian music at our place like you play."

"You never know what message somebody sitting here in our shop will hear with that music," Laramore added.

Backed by their husbands, Laramore said, she and Schlitt had been considering a yogurt business, and they went to Leckie when they learned that she had the same interest. During the development stage, they visited shops in Branson, Missouri; St. Louis; Paducah, Kentucky; Destin, Florida; and other places.

"Yogurt shops were popping up everywhere, Leckie said, explaining that the low-calorie dish appeals to all age groups.

"We wanted to be community-focused and give back to the community," Schlitt said.

From 5 to 8 p.m. each Monday in Cape Girardeau and in Jackson, they give 20 percent of their profits, averaging from $50 to $150, for things like mission trips, fundraisers for needy families and school projects. The Simply Swirled website has a fundraising-partnership application form, and the company has helped more than 50 groups and organizations.

It has 26 employees in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, with each partner working two days a week at the shops, which are open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Supplied by Honey Hill Farms of Russellville, Ark., more than 50 flavors and hundreds of combinations of yogurt and toppingsare served for 45 cents an ounce. "A lot of people forget it's yogurt and call it ice cream," Leckie said.

"It's an experience to create your own treat."